Improved coffee-hue



hereinafter described.

gm time if esta.

To all. whom it `mor/y concern Be it known that I, CHARLES DE ST.C11ARLns,of Jalapa, Mexico, have invented a new and improved Coiee-Huller and Polisher; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, referen ee being had tothe accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a longitudinal vertical section ofthe hulling-wheel.v

Figure 2 is an elevation ofthe end of the frame and perimeter of the hulling-wheel.

' Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the pol-v ishing-wheel.

This invention consists of a mechanism for effecting the hulling and polishing of coffee-grains, by the agency of two elastic surfaces, provided with hard protuberences, between which the grain first passes to be hnlled,

and two soft elastic surfaces, between which the grain subsequently passes to be polished, substantially as 'In the drawings, A represents a wheel, which may be constructed of wood or iron, and be of any required size. Its axle is supported in a suitable frame-work, B, and motion may be imparted as desired. The face of the wheel A is covered with a belt, a., of leather, rubber, or other material that is yielding and elastic. The wheel should be grooved at its rim, or provided with flanges, thebelt a lying at the bottom lof said groove.

Knobs t, of any suitable hard material, are to be attached to the siu'face of the belt a, in any proper manner, in numbers and the position such as will elect the object desired,-when acting in conjunction with simllar protuberances, similarly attached to a belt, d, on the under surface of thecrushing-plate b. The plate b is hinged to a cross-bar of the frame B, vertically, or nearly so, above the axis of the wheel A, and at a little distance abo've the lim thereof.

A hopper, d, for the reception of grain, is so placed upon the frame B as to discharge its contents uponthe 4 rim of the wheel A, just in front ofthe crnshing-plate b, so that the grainsY may be carried, by the revolution of the wheel, between 'said plateand the knobbed belt a. i The protuberances .upon -thesetwo parts 'are so 1ocated, with respect to each other, that no two of'them shall come in contact during the revolution ofthe wheel,

p .each knob of the face of thewheel passing by the side of one or more knobs on the plate.

The effect of this arrangement is, that the grains are `forced to travel in zigzag paths as they pass under the crushing-plate, whereby the hulls are most thoroughly crushed. During this process there is suiicient yield.. ing of the parts to prevent fracture of the kernels, but not enough to prevent fracture ofthe hulls, such yielding being due to the nature of the belts a and d, and to the manner of attachment of the crushing-plate.

The knobs or bosses aa, aiiixed to the belt a, must not only be arranged thus, in order to prevent break.

ing the grains, but they must be made smooth, and, in form, the segment of a globe, like the heads of trunknails, as shown distinctly in the drawings. If in any other form, their ends will tear or wear away the belt that encompasses them, while their sharp corners will cut and break the grains. Even if made in the form of cylindrical pins, projecting from belt a, they will wedge the coffee between them and crush it, while, if made inthe form described and shown in this application, the coffee cannot, by any possibility, wedge between them, but, if crowded or fed too fast, will ride over theedges of the knobs, and escape unharmed.

As before mentioned, the crushingplate is hinged,

in any convenient manner, to the ame B, and to its upper surface is suitably attached one end of a belt, e, of material similar to that of the belt e. The ybelt e passes 4'om the end of the plate b, and into contact,

or nearly so, with the knobs a, the belt being stretched along one half, more-or less, of the circumference ,of the wheel A, and being held in that position by a bar, h,

' one end of which is connected with the frame-work B,

by means of a slot and set-screw, or other equivalent means, which hold the bar nearly horizontal, its inner end being nearly in contact with the wheel A. The lower extremity of the belt e is passed over the inner end of the bar h, and is fastened thereto. The bar h discharges the double function of a supporter and a tightener of the belt c,'the latter function being performed simply by forcing the bar h inward, and secure ing it in the desired position.

The belt c is suiciently elastic to admit of the yield-v ing, before referred to, of the crushing-plate b, as the kernels pass under it.

In my drawings, I have shown but one crushingplate, b, but as many more may be used as found expedient.

The oiice of the belt c is to effect the polishing of' the kernels, after they have been h ulled, which is done by attrition in an effectual manner.

In fig. 3, a belt, fi, is shown ascompletely covering th'e protuberances a. simply to polish the kernels.

The belts are so applied to the face ofthe wheel as to be easily removed, and, after the hulling has been' Y eected, the belt to which the knobs are attached may be removed, and another belt of suiioieut thickness put on, devoid of knobs, to accomplish the polishingprocess,

Having thus describedl my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the cylinder A, rubber b, belt c, and ad j ustable stretcher lawhen constructed and operating in the manner herein described.

' C. DE ST. CHARLES. Witnesses:

SoLoN O. KEMON, CHAs. A. Pnr'rIT.

This is done when it is desired 

